If Penn State and James Franklin part ways, how would it work? What might it cost?
- Thread starter PSUFTG
- Start date
The best bet is a mutual agreement between both parties at the end of the season - Franklin would most likely, at least, be interviewed for a handful of middling jobs that need the rebuild. I think Franklin effectively could be the guy before the guy anywhere. OK ST, V-Tech, Florida, Arkansas, Auburn,...
Guys I'd at least try and get an interview with for PSU:
Brent Key
Joe Brady
Curt Cignetti
Lane Kiffin (or Lebby??)
Ben Arbuckle
Will Stein
Guys I'd at least try and get an interview with for PSU:
Brent Key
Joe Brady
Curt Cignetti
Lane Kiffin (or Lebby??)
Ben Arbuckle
Will Stein
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James Franklin will be the Head Coach of Penn State in 2026.
The Duke’s Mayonnaise Bowl does not count for 2026.
I agree on Cignetti and Kiffin and 1 other name I would throw in there to look at would be Hartline at OSU. Guy has been a machine churning out WR's for years and now is calling plays as OC at OSU. He would have all the relationships with high school coaches for recruiting already as well.
Why can't we just set up a GoFundMe to finance his firing and the hiring of someone in his place?
We were shown GoFundMe is a great way to further vanity projects (when you've poorly handled your own financial situation) to drain PSU's resources ... why can't we use it for good, instead?
We can establish the head of the football program's title as being the "JoePa is still the one and only head coach, 4eva, and this guy is just a crappy fill-in" ... use GoFundMe to pay the buyout, get rid of Franklin and use more of the GoFundMe's funds to hire the bestest (but still, not even close to the true head coach's abilities and proven successes) option out there.
We were assured that the field naming rights sum of $50M was a paltry total, in comparison to what could have been raised if we just solicited donations to rename it in honor of JoePa ... so think of how much we could raise if we renamed the actual head coaching position in honor of JoePa?!
We could likely afford Saban, Urban, Gruden and a bunch of other legends to be on staff. And that's after we fire Franklin, pay the buyout ... hire him again, giving him an even bigger buyout, and immediately fire him again just to say we did it, and make sure our point has been proven.
Plus, if we get really desperate, we can always tap into that Goodwill on our balance sheet and sell some of that off.
We were shown GoFundMe is a great way to further vanity projects (when you've poorly handled your own financial situation) to drain PSU's resources ... why can't we use it for good, instead?
We can establish the head of the football program's title as being the "JoePa is still the one and only head coach, 4eva, and this guy is just a crappy fill-in" ... use GoFundMe to pay the buyout, get rid of Franklin and use more of the GoFundMe's funds to hire the bestest (but still, not even close to the true head coach's abilities and proven successes) option out there.
We were assured that the field naming rights sum of $50M was a paltry total, in comparison to what could have been raised if we just solicited donations to rename it in honor of JoePa ... so think of how much we could raise if we renamed the actual head coaching position in honor of JoePa?!
We could likely afford Saban, Urban, Gruden and a bunch of other legends to be on staff. And that's after we fire Franklin, pay the buyout ... hire him again, giving him an even bigger buyout, and immediately fire him again just to say we did it, and make sure our point has been proven.
Plus, if we get really desperate, we can always tap into that Goodwill on our balance sheet and sell some of that off.
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I think as far as the higher tier teams like Florida, CJF ship has sailed. No one with conference or mnc aspirations is taking him. Auburn....maybe.
It's going to have to be more in the VaTeck/ok st/Ark level IMO. Somebody who wants to get from 6-6 to 9-3/10-2
And there’s little draw for Franklin to voluntarily go from PSU to those programs. He’s better off hoping for a bounce back season here to position for another big job!
I don't expect there to be a change this year - certainly not from PSU terminating him. But I definitely would NOT rule out HCJF deciding to pursue other options. I think that is not an unreasonable possibility.
I can think of 56,000,000 reasons why this won't happen.
He isn't pursuing those other options without a generous green parting gift.
These are fun to revisit…
Post in thread 'Some proper perspective Franklin haters....'
https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/some-proper-perspective-franklin-haters.1446781/post-28621477
I won't lie... I am frustrated just like everyone else. There were very high expectations this season and unfortunately it is likely not going to turn out the way everyone had hoped. That said, In all honesty I cannot find anyone available that I believe can come in and do a better job recruiting and coaching than the current staff. My proposition is this.. Give CJF another season in 2026 because, we are going to have to anyway and one more offensive coordinator. If it does not work out next season my understanding is after January 1, 2027 his contract is structured to where the buyout is significantly lowered. Again, the choices out there of head coaches Matt Rhule and Matt Campbell really don't move the needle. Everything is figureoutable and I truly believe James gets it right in 2026.
One of the many bad things about the current mess is that this is a senior laden team and virtually none of the young players have been given any meaningful playing time. There could be portal exodus after the season. 2026 could be Dark Years bad
The good news is were likely going to watch this play out. The bad news is, on paper, that team won’t be nearly as good as this year’s (unless there are some portal miracles). A fresh squad of hungry players will be fun to watch IMO and lowered expectations will be good for everyone. But expectations will be low for a reason.
I can pull a guy or gal coaching 8-year olds that would know you have to rush the punter towards the very end of the UCLA game!
So a dozen years for CJF?
Why stop there? How about 20 years? 30?
All of this depends on how Kraft and the big money donors see PSU football. Do they like the current product, or do they feel PSU has outgrown CJF. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Things could get very uncomfortable for CJF if he is no longer wanted. How many people want to work under those conditions? What will be the long term fallout if he decides to stay longer than he is welcome?
Franklin is on the cusp of becoming Ferentz at Iowa. “Top” years become rarer and when they happen, the team is eventually exposed in a big way by top teams.
And 7-8 win seasons become the norm. The problem is the PSU fanbase won’t go for that.
Franklin is about to be serenaded with boos and “Fire Franklin” chants for the rest of the season. Homecoming is going to be brutal.
That’s why I think he caves and mutually decides to part ways.
That’s why I think he caves and mutually decides to part ways.
It could be worse ... we could be winning Nattys with a serial child molester leading the defense. And then having actual "human beings" longing for those days many decades later.
Report: UNC scraps plans for Hulu documentary
UNC has scrapped plans for a documentary series with Hulu, according to a report from Inside Carolina, after the team's 2-3 start on the season.
www.espn.com
I've said for some time that Franklin is Penn State's version of Ferentz.
Yup. If the ship isn't righted this Saturday, the remaining home games are gonna be ugly.
Great minds think alike ...
I would look at Kingsbury as well I forgot to list him. Not sure they could get him but I wouldn't mind him as well..I’m not sure about Kliff, but him with a Knowles type who can autonomously recruit and run the D could work.Great minds think alike ...
My first pick would be Hartline. I would kick the tires with Kingsbury
If Franklin doesn't produce, get him out of here. He's been producing, and still taking unnecessary flak from folks who have fantasized some past Xanadu period, and how we "deserve" to be back there. Now, he's hit a bump. Losing to UCLA was inexcusable. If the season spins out of control, then we need to keep a sharp eye on the future of the program. Is there a player exodus? Are we bringing in better recruits in the portal and on the HS recruiting trail, or is the program on a downward trajectory going forward?
But that's premature. Can they rebound and salvage the season, to some extent? TBD. After UCLA debacle, who knows? But it hasn't happened yet, and the ridiculous way folks have characterized his PSU career is tragically sad ... for them, not for PSU or him.
Please enlighten us all with your incredible wisdom we are all waiting for you to tell us how much smarter you are than everyone and you should be the AD over Kraft ...